Ah, fellow photographers, gather around. Let’s have a moment of clarity, a moment of reckoning, a moment where we finally admit what we all know deep down: Buying new gear will not make you a better photographer.

I know, I know. It’s painful to hear. But let’s be honest—was it really that 20-megapixel camera holding you back from greatness? Did the lack of a full-frame sensor truly prevent you from capturing the soul of your subject? Was your artistic vision really stifled by a slightly less creamy bokeh?

Of course not. Because at the end of the day, photography isn’t about how many megapixels you have. It’s about the story you tell. The emotion you capture. The light you dance with. A truly great photographer could shoot a masterpiece with a potato and a prayer. Meanwhile, some of us (ahem) have closets filled with Fujifilm bodies, Canon lenses, and—if we’ve truly lost our minds—maybe even a Hasselblad we convinced ourselves was “an investment.”

Yes, dear reader, I stand before you enlightened and above the shallow temptations of new gear. I have transcended the foolish notion that another camera body will make me a better artist. I laugh in the face of new releases! I scoff at spec sheets!

…

But also, have you seen the new Fujifilm? My God, that thing is gorgeous. And don’t even get me started on the latest Hasselblad. It renders skin tones so beautifully it makes you question your entire existence.

Anyway.

The moral of the story is: Stop chasing gear, start chasing stories. Unless, of course, you’re looking at that new Canon RF lens. In which case, we both know resistance is futile.

Happy shooting (and shopping).